This Sweet Pumpkin Spice Banana Bread Recipe Is The Perfect Fall Treat

Red Wine Pear Cake With Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients:

Pears

• 3-4 firm Bosc pears
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups red wine
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3-4 whole cloves or 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Cake

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 full-fat coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 11 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups coconut sugar
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1/2 teaspoon pink salt
• 1/2 cup 85% dark chocolate chips or bar broken into small pieces
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup gluten-free or regular all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Ganache

• 2/3 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup full-fat coconut milk or heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons reserved spiced wine (see recipe notes)

Directions:

1. Peel the skin off the pears and remove the stems, seeds, and core. Slice in half. Add water, red wine, cinnamon, and cloves into a saucepan and place the pears in the liquid. Bring the wine mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let simmer for 20 minutes, until the pears are tender. Remove the pears from red wine and let cool. Continue simmering until sauce is reduced, and reserve 2 tablespoons for the chocolate ganache.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Grease two 9-inch springform cake pans with butter or oil and set aside.
4. Whisk two eggs in a separate bowl and set aside.
5. In a small bowl, add the coconut milk and apple cider vinegar and whisk thoroughly. Let sit for at least 5 minutes.
6. In a separate saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Whisk in the coconut sugar then remove from heat and add in the red wine and salt until well mixed. Quickly add in the dark chocolate pieces and stir constantly until the chocolate is melted. Pour the vanilla extract in and whisk again.
7. Add about one third of the chocolate mixture to the whisked eggs. Mix thoroughly and then pour back into a mixing bowl with the rest of the chocolate mixture.
8. Add in coconut milk mixture, cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and baking soda, and mix until well combined.
9. Pour the cake batter into two greased cake pans.
10. Slice wine-poached pear halves in quarters and place in your desired design on top of the cake batter in the cake pans.
11. Bake the cakes for 20-30 minutes.
12. While cakes are baking, add the dark chocolate and coconut milk or heavy cream to a small saucepan. Heat on low until the chocolate is melted, whisking so that it is well mixed. Add in the reserved wine sauce and whisk again. Remove from heat and set aside.
13. Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool completely before removing them from the springform pans. Place one cake on a cake platter or stand, and drizzle some chocolate ganache on top. Then place the second cake on top of the first and pour the remaining chocolate ganache over the top.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups bone broth (chicken or beef)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• 2 cups fresh spinach leaves
• 1 cup cauliflower florets
• 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil (for sautéing)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Leftover rotisserie chicken, optional

Optional Add-Ins:

• Fresh herbs like parsley or thyme for garnish
• A squeeze of lemon juice for added brightness
• A pinch of turmeric for anti-inflammatory benefits
• Peeled and chopped sweet potatoes for more fiber, which can help promote healthy gut bacteria
• Swap organic kale or chard for spinach leaves if preferred

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, heat avocado oil over medium heat (optional). Add diced onion and minced garlic, cooking until fragrant and softened (about 2-3 minutes).
2. Add the sliced carrots, cauliflower florets, and celery to the pot. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally to allow the cauliflower to lightly soften and release its flavor.
3. Pour in the bone broth, add the diced cucumber, and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low and let the soup simmer for 15-20 minutes, allowing the vegetables to soften and flavors to meld.
4. Stir in the fresh spinach leaves during the last 2-3 minutes of cooking so that they wilt but remain vibrant.
5. Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve hot, garnished with fresh herbs.

1. They're always being dismissive.

Have you ever been really excited or upset about something only to be met with a dismissive tone from someone you confided in? This person is displaying toxicity which "gradually undermines trust in relationships," according to English. Would you want to keep sharing things with a person if they're always downplaying your emotions? Probably not.

2. Controlling others seems like a sport to them.

English says another way to determine someone is toxic is pay attention to their controlling behavior. It can be something as simple as telling you what to wear or something greater such as forcibly limiting your contact with anyone they think isn't good for you.

3. They consistently makes excuses for their behavior.

Have you ever let a close friend know certain behavior bothers you only for them to make an excuse for why they keep doing them? Bennett says this counts as "avoiding responsibility for actions." Furthermore, "constantly" doing so or looking to "push the blame onto someone else veers into toxic territory," she adds.

Another way to look at this is if someone is always falling into a pattern of "victimizing themselves," according to Bennett.

4. They tend to be manipulative.

Manipulation is tricky because it's not always obvious until it's too late. It's kind of like not realizing you were bit by a mosquito until your skin becomes itchy and red. Bennett says this is toxic because there's a knowing that someone can "appeal to a certain person's characteristics or personality traits." This looks like saying or doing something "with the intention of getting a certain reaction," according to her.

Bennett says, "An example may be one partner in sobriety who consistently uses their poor mental health as a reason to not be proactive about finding a job. They do this because they know that the other partner is worried about their loved one relapsing so they use that fear against her."

5. They never miss an opportunity to gaslight people.

Calling this a "well-known example," English says gaslighting often occurs when someone denies the reality of another person." What would cause someone to do this? Well, a toxic behavior often doesn't want to take accountability for their actions so they'd rather "cause people to doubt their own perceptions," according to English.

6. They're always looking for reasons to criticize someone.

The catty behavior on The Real Housewives of New York may be entertaining for TV, but that kind of behavior gets old quickly in everyday life. No one wants to hear why "so and so thinks they're all that" even if it's disguised as humor. English says, "Regardless of their motivation," behaviors like this "can lead to stressful and emotionally distressing situations."

Alena Darmel

Is it time to cut that toxic person out of my life?

We live in a society that started prioritizing ending relationships with people as soon as we spot red flags, but English and Bennett don't think this should be our immediate reaction. English says, "The decision to disengage with a toxic person in the relationship will depend on how harsh and serious the relationship is" because "it is often personal."

According to her, if you notice a consistent pattern where the behavior is "damaging your emotional health," it's okay to walk away from that person. Still, she believes "completely cutting [someone] off is often a last option when other approaches to changing the behavior have not worked." Bennett says something similar and notes how to approach different scenarios.

"If it someone you need to communicate with because of a job or family, there are things you can do to protect yourself," she says. She suggests reminding "yourself who you are dealing with" if the person is adept at gaslighting others because "it may be easy to become convinced that you are wrong or something did not happen the way you recall." A phrase she encourages you to tell yourself is, "I know that my experiences are my experiences no matter what."

If you're dealing with an aggressively toxic person, you'll have to "set and reinforce boundaries," Bennett says while English adds that "engaging in therapy to faciliate healthier relationships" may be a next step.

Here's how Bennett suggests navigating communication with someone like this:

• Set a boundary to end the conversation when you notice toxic behavior such as invalidation of your feelings.
• Receive support from another person so they can remind you of things you're trying to accomplish

If you're dealing with a friend or spouse, Bennett wants you to remember "you cannot change them" but you're in control of how you respond. English says, "It is important to analyze the whole situation and know when the cost of the relationship is greater than the benefits."